Donald Trump had a predictable reaction to Major League Baseball players kneeling Monday night during the playing of the “Star-Spangled Banner.”
Players across the league knelt as the national anthem played prior to the start of exhibition games. Perhaps most notably, San Francisco Giants skipper Gabe Kapler became the first MLB manager to kneel during the anthem.
The demonstrations were, as they always have been, intended to communicate solidarity with victims of perceived racial and social injustice, as well as police brutality. Trump, who long has spoken against the protests, sang a familiar tune Tuesday morning.
Check out this tweet from the United States President.
Looking forward to live sports, but any time I witness a player kneeling during the National Anthem, a sign of great disrespect for our Country and our Flag, the game is over for me!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 21, 2020
Make of that what you will.
Whether Trump eventually softens his stance on this issue remains to be seen. However, given recent events, there likely will be a resurgence and/or increase in pre-anthem demonstrations across professional sports in the coming months.
